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Author
Topic: Work? (Read 5976 times)

Any advice re returning to work?I am dreading this!I have not been at work since Jan, due to illness at home, hospital and then recovery.

Work kept trying to come to the hosp to see me!(They dont know my diagnosis)I feel a huge pressure to go back.(They have visited me at home)

I had been sick for a long time before Jan and was really struggling.I had my hrs reduced....a yr ago ,but I think I may lose my job .

(At that time I had no idea what was wrong....but when I couldn't physically work 70/80 hrs a week anymore or travel , I was made to feel like a criminal and threatened with dismissal ....I did not miss any shifts then ..went to work with a fever, in pain, unable to sit down......I know many of you have done the same thing!!!!!!!!!!)

My thinking is to go back.....let them see Im not fit to walk miles, do manual handling etc....and that way I will have shown I was not lazy as I was prepared to try.I applied for DLA in the UK and was refused.I put in an appeal.(still waiting!)

If I refused to go back ......then im in the wrong(according to benefits system here).

Sorry for rambling yet again!!!!!!!!.I would love to hear other people's experiences , no matter which country you live in!

Some ASOs (aids service organisations) run programs that help people get back to work. For example, just last week (July 2nd) I got the following email from Sahir House, the ASO I'm a member of in Liverpool.

Quote

Are you looking for paid work?

Are you worried about losing your disability benefits and going back into the job market?

Do you wish you had more confidence to find a volunteering position or enrol on a course? See below:

Sahir House is considering providing courses in confidence building and employability skills in September with a possible taster session over the summer.

Each course will take place once a week over a 12 week period for 2 ½ hours from about 4 pm.

1. Developing Tools for Self Confidence.

This course will look at setting goals, confidence thinking, self esteem, reducing stress, fear of making mistakes, steps to change thinking and much more.

2. Developing Employability Skills.

This course will follow on from the first and look at your skills assessment, understanding job descriptions and person specifications, job searching, preparing for interview and much more.

Such courses will form part of a job seeking portfolio and will satisfy the job centre that you are seeking work.

Commitment to attending all the sessions is important for us to secure the funding. If you are interested in one or both of these courses or wish more information please contact me as soon as possible. They are a great opportunity and I need to book them soon so we don’t miss out.

You also need to know that you are covered under the UK Disability and the Equality Act 2010 from the point of diagnosis. Your current employer will not be able to fire you due to your illness. Please see http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/index.htm for more information.

Let me know if I can be of more help. I think I've got another site or two bookmarked that deals with your situation - but most of those links come from pages in the Equality Act information link I just gave you.

PS - you might have better luck applying for Incapacity Benefits rather than DLA. DLA is difficult to get these days. All you really need for Incap is a standard "sick note" (it's a standard form - officially called a "medical certificate") from your doctor.

Where I live, once you're on Incap for six months you get moved to Long-term Incap, which is a bit more money. I think the time-line is the same in the UK - our social benefit system is modeled on yours. I think a small difference is in what the various benefits are called - the UK might call Incapacity benefits Disability benefits. It's just semantics, they're the same thing really.

You should have been on Incap benefit starting when you were first hospitalised. Your doctor should have seen to it!

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I used to just deal with life ..but yes..I've lost my confidence due to events of the last few months!

More phone calls to make then in the morn!The THT in Glasgow Scotland, are the nearest organisation to me.

Yep the cats out the bag!Wonder if any more Scots are members or lurking here?!!!!!!!!

I will call THT asap.They came all the way to the hospital I was in..... miles away from the city . I think they kind of adopted me....supported me then ..even though I dont belong to their usual client group.

These people (below) may be able to help you have an income while you get back on your feet. You really don't want to rush your recovery - so take advantage of any help you can get so you can be fit and strong before you return to the workforce.

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I have recently become disabled and want to know what benefits I can get?

There are different benefits you may be able to claim depending on your circumstances such as whether or not you are able to work, what age you are and whether you have difficulty walking or moving around or are not able to care for yourself. It can be helpful to speak to someone about your circumstances and get advice about what benefits to claim. Contact the Advice Team on 0131 313 5510 or email: advice@capability-scotland.org.uk for more information.

Also, as you qualify as disabled under the Equality act, your current employer has the responsibility to make "reasonable adjustments" in order for you to remain employed with them.

Quote

What are my rights in relation to disability equality as a disabled person?

The Equality Act replaced the old Disability Discrimination Act in October 2010. However you still have the right not to be discriminated against and for reasonable adjustments to be made. You can phone our advice service to find out more on 0131 313 5510 or advice@capability-scotland.org.uk.

source same as above

In that same vein:

Quote

Disability discrimination at work

It is against the law for an employer:

to treat you less favourably because you are disabled than someone without a disability would be treated in the same circumstances. This is called direct discrimination to discriminate against you because of your connection with someone else who is disabled, for example, your partner or child. This is called discrimination by association to discriminate against you indirectly for example by requiring something which applies to all your colleagues but which is much more difficult for you and for disabled people to meet to treat you unfavourably because of something connected with your disability. For example, a worker is given night shifts to do. She has kidney failure and has nightly dialysis. Making her do night shifts would mean she won't be able to have her dialysis not to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace to allow you to work or to continue to work to harass you if you are disabled, for example, by making jokes about your disability to victimise you if you take legal action because of discrimination against you, or if you help someone else to take legal action because of discrimination.

Employers can treat disabled people less favourably only if they have a sufficiently justifiable reason for doing so, and only if the problem cannot be overcome by making 'reasonable adjustments'. For example, an employer would be justified in rejecting someone with severe back pain for a job as a carpet fitter, as they cannot carry out the essential requirements of the job.

Examples of the types of adjustments that an employer might make include:

making physical adjustments to the premises supplying special equipment to help you do your job, or providing information in an accessible format transferring you to a different post or work place altering your hours of work or giving you extra time off.

When employers are deciding whether an adjustment is reasonable they can take into account several things, including the cost of making an adjustment and the size of their business. If you are already in the job, your employer can also take into account your skills and experience and the length of time you have worked there.

Access to Work

If you are disabled and need changes at work so you can do your job you may be able to get help from Access to Work. You may also be able to get help from Access to Work if you are disabled and are looking for a job. Access to Work is a government scheme that works with disabled people and employers to work out what changes are needed so the disabled person can do their job. They may also be able to provide some money to pay for the changes. Access to Work may be able to provide an assessment of your needs at work, and help with things like equipment, adapting premises or a support worker. It can also provide support for people with mental health conditions to enable them to find, remain in or return to work. As the employee or person looking for work, it is your responsibility to contact Access to Work.

For more information about Access to Work, ask at your local Jobcentre Plus, or see the Directgov website at: www.direct.gov.uk. More information about mental health support through Access to Work can be found on the Directgov website at www.direct.gov.uk.

You can also complete an online questionnaire on the Directgov website to find out if you are eligible to get help from Access to Work. If you are, you can print out a 'pre-employment eligibility letter' which you can show to a prospective employer. For more information, see www.direct.gov.uk.

If you have suffered discrimination at work because of your disability, you should talk to an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by e-mail, click on CAB.

And last but not least, the National AIDS Trust. http://www.nat.org.uk/ They may be able to help you, along with THT.

It's wonderful that someone from THT went to hospital to see you. I know how much that must have meant to you.

When I was newly diagnosed, I was hospitalised for about a five days - not because I was very ill, but because they were trying to figure out if my symptoms were being caused more by hiv or by hep C (I no longer have hep C). Someone from Sahir House came to visit me and I really appreciated it.

He was one of the first persons who was actually living with hiv who took the time to talk to me and allay my fears. I'll never forget him and what he did for my moral when I was at my lowest (in fact I just saw him this past Tuesday - we attend the same clinic).

I had several other visitors from Sahir House after that because they knew with me living on the Isle of Man, I wouldn't be able to have any visitors (in Liverpool). It gets lonely when your loved ones are so far away and you're in a stressful hospital environment!

Did you get to speak with anyone today at THT Glasgow? If so, how did it go?

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Thanks for all that great info..I will definetly use it.Yes it was great of THT to travel down to me.

Did you ever feel like you were asking consultants, nurses etc tons of questions ?!!!!I kept a journal while I was in hospital and reading it back now....I can see that I wasn't taking everything in.Thats why this forum has been so good for me as I get great feedback !(Thats why im asking all the questions now!)

It must have been so difficult for you to be so far away from your family and friends when you had your diagnosis...and to have to keep travelling re appointments.

Work have contacted me and are coming to see me next week.On one hand I can understand their point of view(I've been off since Jan!)...and on the other hand.....Im not lazy but im not going to go back to crazy hrs or STRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Sorry I haven't posted much over the last wk or so! Dont like posting if im not feeling good!I always seem to be asking for advice........would love to hear any thoughts re work, no matter where you live.

So I returned to work about a month ago as no choice re finances!!!!!I built up my hrs...still part time...but not coping..its not that I dont want to work...im just so fatigued , in pain(back and legs).not sleeping etc.I was throwing myself back in there and just pretending to be fine....when im not.I was also making myself go out every day re walking......I've crashed and burned myself out by attempting to be superwoman!

I spent fri and monday in my bed and thats so not me!!!!!

On a happier note.....I am waiting for a decision re DLA appeal ....(did original p/work in March)I have also written to our Prime Minister in the UK re DLA and I got a reply!!!!!!!!My email has been passed on to the relevant dept....so once again... im trying to cheer up....people are dealing with worse situations than I am

Hi Brit,I don't pretend to know the workings of the UK, but I am soooo glad you got a hold of your Prime Minister. I tell people here, quite often, to get a hold of people in government if one is having issues with, well, government related issues (such as disability, Medicaid etc.).

You may have gone back way too early before your body got a chance to recover. If I remember correctly, you were fairly ill when diagnosed, weren't you? Will your job let you take another leave? And I apologize, but is there another source of income in your home? I could go back and read old posts, but it's way too early here (5:00 am, been up since 4:00) so I'm too tired. That's my excuse.

Just do what doesn't make you ill, too tired, feeling completely wore out etc. And please keep us updated on how things are going with the getting a hold of the Prime Minister. I hope it helps!

Betty

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I've never killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction reading the obituary notices.-Clarence Darrow

Thanks for replying.Its okay as I dont know how the system works in the USA either!!!

No...its just me re finances!I really tried to go back to work to pay my way and have been really struggling , not sleeping, pain .....more sleeping tabs /p killers/anti dep.......fun?!!!!!!!!!I've been really trying to be optimistic and fighting against my crappy health....but im physically and mentally exhausted.The day I emailed to the PM....I was so worn down.It was great to get a written reply.(Im hoping i have raised some more awareness for all of us)

I will never know if it was my email being read by the PM or his staff or if it was something else but yesterday I recieved a 59 page document re my DLA Appeal and have been invited to attend a Tribunal.....still waiting for a date re that.

Im not going to give up.I am lucky as a Welfare Rights officer is going to attend the Tribunal with me.

I will keep you informed.All I can say is im not lazy or unmotivated . Im just not able to be Superwoman....!!!!!!

I understand why the Govt is so tough....but I believe that I(and others!) have a valid case!

Well things are moving much quicker than I thought after I received that reply!The Govt agency contacted me within a few days and I have my Tribunal in a few weeks time.I thought that it would take another 6 months!I sent another letter with my acceptance to attend .......I am so glad that I decided not to give up ..Wish me luck!!!!!!!

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts